Food Away From Home and Self-Perceived Gastrointestinal Health

Jyh-Jou Chen; Li-Yun Tsai; Jung-Mei Tsai; Chen-Yuan Hsu

doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.741647

Food Away From Home and Self-Perceived Gastrointestinal Health

Front Nutr. 2021 Nov 26:8:741647. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.741647. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Jyh-Jou Chen^{1

2}, Li-Yun Tsai², Jung-Mei Tsai^{2

3

4

5}, Chen-Yuan Hsu²

Affiliations

¹ Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
² College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Dayeh University, Changhua, Taiwan.
³ Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Nursing, Mackay Junior College of Medicine, Nursing, and Management, Taipei City, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Nursing, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan.

Abstract

Dietary behavior is a critical lifestyle factor affecting health. This study aimed to investigate food away from home (FAFH) and its effect on gastrointestinal (GI) health. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted with 300 participants at a hospital in Liouying, Taiwan. The survey collected demographic information and data on FAFH and GI health. The association of GI health with FAFH consumption behavior was significant (t-test, p < 0.05). Bodyweight status was associated with age (F = 5.01, p = 0.01), dietary situation (F = 1.96, p = 0.04), number of meals (F = 1.85, p = 0.03), dietary preferences (F = 2.84, p = 0), reasons for FAFH (F = 1.86, p = 0.02), FAFH types (F = 2.01, p = 0), and outcomes associated with FAFH (F = 2.51, p = 0). Gastrointestinal condition was associated with the number of meals (F = 2.55, p = 0), the level of activity after meals (F = 2.16, p = 0.02), and FAFH type (F = 1.48, p = 0.04). The results indicated that the participants aged 20-40 years had more problems related to their self-perceived body weight status than those aged 41-50 years. The results of this study clarify the FAFH among people in Taiwan and the effects on GI health and may serve as a reference for relevant behavioral research in food and health studies.

Keywords: consumption behavior; dietary behavior; food away from home (FAFH); gastrointestinal; health.